Catalan President Carles Puigdemont and other regional leaders have signed a declaration of independence from Spain after his long awaited speech before Cataloniaâs parliament.

But the move will not be implemented immediately allowing for talks with the national government in Madrid.

The symbolic gesture was welcomed by some lawmakers but for others it fell short of a unilateral proclamation.

âWe have just signed an independence declaration, the independence of the Republic of Catalonia, and therefore we are independent. We are just giving the Spanish Government the opportunity to talk about how to do it.â

Xavier GarcÃ­a Albiol (Popular Party): âThe âbalanceâ of words in this speech do not give us security, we are not satisfied and it legitimises the Spanish Government to bring back normality.â

Puigdemont had been under intense pressure from all sides leading up to his address. In the end he claimed the recent disputed referendum gave Catalonia the right to be independent.

âAs we have reached this historic moment, I take the responsibility as President of the Generalitat of presenting you and all of our citizens, the referendumâs results and the peopleâs mandate that Catalonia become an independent state in the form of a republic.â